Denmark

Ramboll working on two jacket projects

A leading designer of offshore monopiles, Ramboll, is working on two detailed design projects for offshore wind jackets, Windpower Offshore understands.

In addition to "numerous" monopile design projects, Ramboll is using its long experience of designing jackets for the offshore oil and gas sector, to develop solutions for two offshore wind clients, explained Klaus Andersen, head of Ramboll’s offshore wind team in Esbjerg.

Several factors are pushing some developers to explore the use of jackets. Among them, turbines' greater weight, deeper water and concerns about monopiles' environmental impacts.

Ramboll employs about 80 staff focused on offshore wind projects. Almost all are working on foundation design. It has provided designs for many early projects, such as Lynn & Inner Dowsing and Arklow Bank, as well as more recent developments, such as Thanet, Anholt and Sheringham Shoal.

The Danish consultancy also designed foundations for Greater Gabbard, some of which have been the subject of a legal dispute concerning their construction quality.

Earlier this year, Ramboll won the contract to design foundations for the contentious Cape Wind project, planned for Nantucket Sound.

In recent years, Ramboll has also succeeded in winning contracts to design offshore substations. This has been thanks to its long track record of oil and gas platform design, said Andersen. Ramboll’s offshore substation contracts include those for Westermost Rough, Anholt and Sheringham Shoal.